Leucanthemum plant named &#39;Florleulag&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Leucanthemum  plant named ‘Florleulag’, characterized by its white-colored inflorescences, medium green-colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, compact-upright growth habit, is disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/498,061 filed Dec. 12, 2016.

Latin name of genus and species of plant claimed: Leucanthemum xsuperbum.

Variety denomination: ‘Florleulag’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofLeucanthemum plant botanically known as Leucanthemum x superbum andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Florleulag’.

The new cultivar originated in a controlled breeding program inQuedlinburg, Germany during July 2011. The objective of the breedingprogram was the development of Leucanthemum cultivars having largeinflorescences with early seasonal flowering.

The new Leucanthemum cultivar is the result of open-pollination. Thefemale (seed) parent of the new cultivar is the proprietary Leucanthemumx superbum breeding selection coded 180-1, not patented, characterizedby its white-colored flowers, medium green-colored foliage, andvigorous, upright growth habit. The male (pollen) parent of the newcultivar is unknown. The new cultivar was discovered and selected as asingle flowering plant within the progeny of the above statedopen-pollination during August 2012 in a controlled environment inQuedlinburg, Germany.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings sinceAugust 2012 in Quedlinburg, Germany and Elburn, Ill. has demonstratedthat the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all of thecharacteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained throughsuccessive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following characteristics of the new cultivar have been repeatedlyobserved and can be used to distinguish ‘Florleulag’ as a new anddistinct cultivar of Leucanthemum plant:

-   -   1. White-colored inflorescences;    -   2. Medium green-colored foliage; and    -   3. Moderately vigorous, compact-upright growth habit.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the female parentprimarily in having lower growth vigor, larger-sized flowers withearlier seasonal flowering.

Of the many commercially available Leucanthemum cultivars, the mostsimilar in comparison to the new cultivar is the Leucanthemum cultivar‘Snowcap’, not patented. However, in side by side comparisons, plants ofthe new cultivar differ from plants of ‘Snowcap’ in at least thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new cultivar have larger diameter        inflorescences than plants of ‘Snowcap’; and    -   2. Plants of the new cultivar have earlier seasonal flowering        than plants of ‘Snowcap’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show, as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typicalflower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in thephotographs differ slightly from the color values cited in the detaileddescription, which accurately describes the colors of ‘Florleulag’. Theplants were approximately 15 weeks old and were grown in 13 cm pots forapproximately 10 weeks in a glass-covered greenhouse inHendrik-Ido-Ambacht, The Netherlands.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth and flowering habitof ‘Florleulag’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of an individual inflorescence of‘Florleulag’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype mayvary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature,light intensity, and day length, without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is TheR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England,2015 edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significanceare used. The color values were determined in June 2017 under naturallight conditions in Boskoop, The Netherlands.

The following descriptions and measurements describe approximately 15week old plants produced from cuttings from stock plants and grown in aglass-covered greenhouse in Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, The Netherlands underconditions comparable to those used in commercial practice. The plantswere grown in 13 cm pots utilizing a soilless growth medium forapproximately 10 weeks. During this period the temperatures ranged from57.2° F. to 64.4° F. (14.0° C. to 18.0° C.). No supplemental lightingwas provided. Measurements and numerical values represent averages oftypical plants.

-   Botanical classification: Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Florleulag’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary Leucanthemum x superbum breeding            selection coded 180-1, not patented.        -   Male parent.—Unknown.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal stem.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 10 to 12 days at            70° F. (21° C.).        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Approximately 5 to 6 weeks            at 70° F. (21° C.).        -   Root description.—Fibrous, thin, white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching, dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Commercial crop time.—Approximately 10 to 12 weeks from a            rooted cutting to finish in a one-gallon container.        -   Growth habit and general appearance.—Moderately vigorous,            compact-upright growth habit.        -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Hardiness.—USDA zones 4a to 9b.        -   Size.—Height from soil level to top of plant plane:            Approximately 21.8 cm. Width: Approximately 23.6 cm.        -   Branching habit.—Freely branching, pinching improves basal            branching. Quantity of lateral branches per plant:            Approximately 7.        -   Lateral branch.—Strength: Strong. Length: Approximately            6.0 cm. Diameter: Approximately 4.0 mm. Length of central            internode: Approximately 1.0 cm. Texture: Slightly glossy,            glabrous. Color of young stems: 143C. Color of mature stems:            137C.-   Foliage description:    -   -   General description.—Quantity of leaves per lateral branch:            Approximately 15. Fragrance: None detected. Form: Single.            Arrangement: Alternate.        -   Leaves.—Aspect: Acute angle to stem; perpendicular to obtuse            angle to stem with age. Shape: Lanceolate. Margin: Coarsely            serrate. Apex: Bluntly acute. Base: Sessile, truncate.            Venation pattern: Pinnate. Length of mature leaf:            Approximately 7.5 cm. Width of mature leaf: 2.1 cm. Texture            of upper surface: Very slightly glossy, glabrous. Texture of            lower surface: Very slightly glossy, glabrous. Color of            upper surfaces of young foliage: 137B with midvein of 144C.            Color of lower surfaces of young foliage: 137C with midvein            of 144C. Color of upper surfaces of mature foliage: NN137A            with main venation of 144A and 144B. Color of lower surfaces            of mature foliage: in between 137B and 138A with main            venation of 143B.-   Flowering description:    -   -   Flowering habit.—‘Florleulag’ is freely flowering under            outdoor growing conditions with substantially continuous            blooming from early to late summer.        -   Lastingness of individual inflorescence on the            plant.—Approximately 14 days.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   General description.—Type: Daisy-type composite,            actinomorphic. Persistent. Shape: Round. Aspect: Erect.            Arrangement: Terminal capitulum, positioned above and below            the foliage. Quantity per plant: Approximately 3. Diameter:            Approximately 7.3 cm. Depth: Approximately 1.7 cm.            Fragrance: None detected.        -   Peduncle.—Strength: Strong. Aspect: Erect. Length:            Approximately 8.4 cm. Diameter: Approximately 3.5 mm.            Texture: Glabrous, slightly glossy. Color: 137C.        -   Bud.—Rate of opening: Generally takes 4 to 5 days for bud to            progress from first color to fully open inflorescence.            Quantity per plant: Approximately 17.        -   Bud just before opening.—Shape: Oblate. Diameter:            Approximately 1.8 cm. Depth: Approximately 1.4 cm. Color:            Slightly lighter than 150D.        -   Ray florets.—Quantity per inflorescence: Approximately 36.            Arrangement: In a single whorl, imbricate. Aspect: Slightly            concave. Shape: Elliptic. Margin: Entire. Apex: Three acute            tips. Base: Cuneate. Length: Approximately 2.8 cm. Width:            Approximately 7.0 mm. Texture of upper and lower surfaces:            Glabrous, axially ribbed. Color of upper and lower surfaces            when first open: NN155B. Color of upper and lower surfaces            when fully open: NN155D.        -   Disc florets.—Quantity per inflorescence: Approximately 400.            Arrangement: Massed in center of inflorescence. Shape:            Tubular, lower 90% fused. Margin: Entire. Apex: Five acute            tips. Base: Fused. Length: Approximately 7.5 mm. Diameter:            Approximately 2.0 mm. Texture of outer surface: Slightly            glossy, glabrous. Texture of inner surface: Glandular            pubescent on tips. Color of upper or inner surface when            first and fully open: 144B with tips of 9A and base of 145B.            Color of lower or outer surface when fully open: 144B with            tips of 9A and base of 145B.        -   Disc.—Diameter: Approximately 2.7 cm. Depth: Approximately            7.0 mm.        -   Receptacle.—Shape: Cone. Height: Approximately 4.0 mm.            Diameter at base: Approximately 1.1 cm. Color: 145A to 145B.        -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence Approximately 75.            Arrangement: In three equally divided whorls. All bracts            unfused, inner bracts surround receptacle, slightly            imbricate, held close to ray florets.        -   Outer phyllaries.—Shape: Ovate. Margin: Entire. Apex:            Bluntly acute. Base: Truncate. Length: Approximately 7.0 mm.            Width: Approximately 3.0 mm. Texture of upper surfaces:            Glabrous, glossy. Texture of lower surfaces: Glabrous,            matte. Color of upper and lower surfaces: 143A.        -   Inner phyllaries.—Shape: Ovate. Margin: Entire. Apex:            Bluntly acute. Base: Truncate. Length: Approximately 9.0 mm.            Width: Approximately 4.0 mm. Texture of upper surfaces:            Glabrous, glossy. Texture of lower surfaces: Glabrous,            matte. Color of upper and lower surfaces: 143A with margins            transparent 199D.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets            only. Stamen quantity: 5. Stamen length: Approximately            4.0 mm. Filament length: Approximately 2.0 mm. Filament            color: NN155D. Anther shape: Oblong, basifixed. Anther            length: Approximately 2.0 mm. Anther color: 13A to 13B.            Pollen amount: Moderate to abundant. Pollen color: 23A.            Gynoecium: Present on ray and disc florets. Pistil quantity:            1 per floret. Pistil length: Approximately 6.0 mm. Stigma            shape: Bifid. Stigma length: Approximately 1.0 mm. Stigma            color: 9B. Style length: Approximately 5.0 mm. Style color:            145C. Ovary length: Approximately 1.5 mm. Ovary color: 145B.-   Seed and fruit production: Neither seed nor fruit production has    been observed.-   Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests    common to Leucanthemum has not been observed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Leucanthemum plantnamed ‘Florleulag’, substantially as herein illustrated and described.